Football

Clutch Field Goal Lifts Football Over MIT, 31-29

NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA-Junior kicker Edgar Osols (Summit, NJ/Summit HS) drilled a 45-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining to lift the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's football team to a 31-29 victory over visiting MIT in a New England Football Conference Boyd Division shootout at Cressy Field Saturday afternoon.

The Engineers had taken the lead when they drove 78 yards in eight plays and scored on a one-yard run by freshman running back Justin Wallace (Palatine, IL/William Fremd HS) with 1:23 remaining. MIT went for two points after the score, and sophomore wide receiver Ben Hessels (Laytonsville, MD/Poolesville HS) took a pitch from sophomore quarterback John Wenzel (Mandeville, LA/Mandeville HS) and raced into the end zone to put the Engineers on top.

Sophomore defensive back Wayne Bolz (Billerica, MA/Billerica HS) returned freshman Harry Rein's (Hingham, MA/Hingham HS) kickoff to the UMD 44. Junior Brendan McNeish (Springfield, MA/Bridgton Academy), who moved over from wide receiver to replace junior Patrick Orlando (Manchester, MA/Manchester Essex HS/Saint Anselm) on the final drive, hit junior wide receiver Joe Luiz (New Bedford, MA/Bishop Stang HS) for 12 yards and freshman wide receiver Will McNamara (Stoughton, MA/Stoughton HS) for 10, with the receiver getting out of bounds to stop the clock after each completion. After an incompletion and a two-yard loss on a sack by MIT senior linebacker Peter Gilliland (Grand Ledge, MI/Grand Ledge HS), McNeish hit McNamara for eight yards on third and 12, setting up Osols' game-winning field goal try.

"I knew if we gave Edgar another chance, he'd make it," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Mark Robichaud. "He's a great kicker."

UMD took advantage of a turnover on MIT's second possession, as Wenzel was hit by senior linebacker John Cordasco (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls HS) and fumbled at his own eight-yard line, with junior defensive back Darrien Furr (East Taunton, MA/Taunton HS) recovering for UMD. Orlando scored from three yards out to make it 7-0.

The Engineers drove 43 yards to tie the score after sophomore defensive back Rhys Borchert (Pocatello, ID/Century HS) returned Osols' kickoff 43 yards to the Corsair 43. Hessels scored from a yard out to tie the score.

UMD's defense allowed them to take a 14-7 lead. Junior defensive lineman Jake Walsh (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro HS) intercepted Wenzel's pass at the MIT 35, brought it back 12 yards and pitched the ball to Cordasco, who ran the remaining 23 yards for the score.

UMass Dartmouth drove 75 yards in eight plays to score in the second quarter. Junior running back Romario Berneche (Everett, MA/Pope John XXIII HS/Mount Ida) scored from 11 yards out to make it 21-7 with 11:32 left in the first half.

Wenzel connected with Hessels from seven-yards out to cap a 66 yard, six-play drive two and a half minutes later, but the Corsairs built their lead back to two touchdowns when junior receiver Nick Hiou (Peabody, MA/Peabody HS) scored on an 11-yard reverse with 6:21 left in the first half.

Late in the first half, UMD drove to the MIT seven, but Osols' 24-yard field goal try was blocked by sophomore defensive lineman Derek Vaughn (Goodlettsville, TN/Davidson Academy).Freshman defensive back Anthony Souffrant (North Grafton, MA/St. John's HS) picked up the ball and returned it to the UMD 41. Wenzel capped the drive by scoring on a 13-yard run 29 seconds before halftime.

"We did a great job moving the ball in the first half, and we had trouble finishing in the second," said Robichaud. "Our offense did a great job moving the ball, and our defense forced a lot of three and outs. We had a lot of success running the ball today, we never gave up, and it was a great football game and a great win."

UMass Dartmouth improved to 3-2 and 2-0 in the Boyd Division with the victory, while MIT dropped to 1-3 and 0-2 in Boyd Division play with the defeat. The Corsairs will return to action when they visit Salve Regina next Saturday. MIT will visit Plymouth State next Saturday.